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12
MichałWojewoda
StatusRegister.Theevolutionofthejudicialactivisminthisrespectwillbediscussed
insomedetailbelow.Whatneedstobeunderlinedattheveryoutsetisthefactthat
-despitethelackofspecificwrittenregulationsdevotedtotheproblem-thejudiciary
doesrefertocertainlegalregulations(presentedinfra),whicharetakenasa(substitute)
basisforparticularjudgments.ThatisbecausePolandisnotacommonlawcountry
andeverycourtrulingmustbebasedonsomewrittenrule.
Interestingly,manycurrentcommentatorsusuallyagreethatthecaselaw
concerningtranssexualpersonscanbeseenassomehowrootedinthePolish
Constitutionof1997.13Asitwasmentionedintheintroduction,thereareatleast
twoconstitutionalprovisionsthatmaybecitedinthisrespect.Thefirstonecanbe
foundinArt.30oftheConstitution,whichreads:
Theinherentandinalienabledignityofthepersonshallconstituteasourceoffreedomsand
rightsofpersonsandcitizens.Itshallbeinviolable.Therespectandprotectionthereofshallbe
theobligationofpublicauthorities.
Sexualidentityisasanelementoftheabovepersonaldignityand,accordingly,
itdeservesproperprotection.Butsexualidentityisalsolinkedtothenotionsof
privacyandpersonallifeofanindividual.Thatiswhy,thesecondprovisionofthe
ConstitutionthatdeservesspecialattentionisArt.47,accordingtowhich:
Everyoneshallhavetherighttolegalprotectionofhisprivateandfamilylife,ofhishonour
andgoodreputationandtomakedecisionsabouthispersonallife.
Thus,eventhoughtheConstitutionishardlyinvokedinindividualcourt
judgmentsinchange-of-sexcases,thelegalwritingsdotendtoplacetheproblem
intheconstitutionalcontext.
Anothergeneralpointofreferenceforthesexidentityquestionsisthe
internationallaw.TherecentcaselawoftheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights
(ECtHR)seemstorequirethatineverydemocraticcountrythereoughtto
existsomeproceduretobefollowedbytranspersonswithregardtotheirsex
reassignment.Itmustberecalledthat,aftersomeinitialhesitation(perceivable
inolderrulings),asfromtheyear2002theECtHRhasmadeitclearthat-in
thelightofArt.8oftheEuropeanHumanRightsConvention(whichguarantees
therespectofprivatelife)-allMemberCountries(includingPoland)should
possessadequateprocedureswhichmakethechangeoflegalsexpossible.14
13SeeauthorscitedbyJ.Ostojska,op.cit.,pp.151-152.
14See,inparticular,judgmentsdeliveredinthefollowingcases:ChristineGoodwin
v.theUnitedKingdomof2002(applicationNo.28957/95;http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/
eng?i=001-60596);I.v.theUnitedKingdomof2002(applicationNo.25680/94;http://hudoc.
echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-60595);Grantv.theUnitedKingdomof2006(applicationNo.32570/03;
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-75454),andL.v.Lithuaniaof2008(applicationNo.27527/03;
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-82243)(lastaccessedonAugust2,2017).